10 Brain Games to Boost MS Memory

Get Cognitively Fit With MS

If you have multiple sclerosis (MS) and are struggling with memory issues, you're not alone. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), there's a 50 percent chance you'll experience some type of cognitive deficit due to the condition. But whether or not you're experiencing problems with cognition right now, exercising your mind is an important part of staying healthy with MS.

Why are memory games so beneficial? In part, it's because people who participate in mind-stimulating tasks create a cognitive reserve that benefits them later in life. And if you are currently having specific cognitive problems, certain types of brain games can help. For example, games or exercises that involve rapidly taking in information may improve your mental speed if you have slowed information processing. So talk with your MS doctor about your symptoms, and give the following games a try to stimulate your mind and help keep your edge.

My Brain Games

This free online suite of games was developed specifically for the MS community to help with MS symptoms by a group of game developers, neurologists, and psychologists in collaboration with the NMSS and Microsoft. "It was designed to address some of the most common cognitive changes seen in MS, such as slowed speed of information processing and working memory deficits," explains Nicholas G. LaRocca, PhD, vice president of health care delivery and policy research at the NMSS. "Also, with My Brain Games, players can make adjustments to the display, such as text size and color contrast, in order to compensate for some of the visual deficits caused by MS." My Brain Games can be found in the lower right corner of the Health and Wellness Practices web page.

Cognifit.com

"Some common cognitive problems that can affect people with MS are impaired processing speed; short-term memory and attention problems; skills like problem solving, reasoning, and mental flexibility; visual perception problems; and difficulty remembering words," says Tracy Carrasco, OT/L, MSCS, an occupational therapist at the Orlando Health Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center of Central Florida. The games at Cognifit.com work to improve memory and other cognitive impairment issues. You can even download apps on your smartphone or tablet to take these games with you when you're on the go to stave off MS symptoms.

Lumosity.com

Cognitive impairment complaints can vary with the stage of multiple sclerosis, some medications, and during MS attacks, says Laura Lacritz, PhD, professor of psychiatry and neurology & neurotherapeutics and associate director of neuropsychology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Memory problems are common MS symptoms, sometimes caused by difficulties with attention or processing speed — which can interfere with or slow down new learning, she says. Lumosity offers a variety of game options, many of which aim to improve memory, attention, and processing speed. You can play online or on your smartphone or tablet.

Brain Age

Japanese research published in the journal PLOS One found that elderly participants who played Brain Age (for Nintendo Wii and DSi) for four weeks experienced improvements in executive functions, such as sequencing, problem solving, reasoning, mental flexibility, and processing speed. These are called executive functions because they oversee and manage other cognitive functions; for example, when you work to solve a problem, your brain comes up with strategies and then selects the best one. Mini-games included with Brain Age can also be used to target memory, attention, and visual-perceptual skills to help overcome MS symptoms associated with cognitive impairment, says Carrasco.

Big Brain Academy

For avid gamers, Big Brain Academy (for Nintendo Wii and DSi) is another video game option that includes activities targeting memory, attention, visual-perceptual skills, and processing speed. When you begin the game, you're given a test to determine the appropriate difficulty level of activities. You can then choose from a variety of games in either "practice" mode, which is untimed, or "test" mode — either way, it's a fun way to keep MS symptoms in check.

Jigsaw Puzzles

You don't need to go online to challenge your brain. If you enjoy the low-tech fun of piecing together puzzles, grab one and get started: This is a great activity for working on visual-perceptual skills, notes Carrasco. And if you use a timer to see how quickly you can complete the task, it can also be used to address processing speed. Keep a log of times so that you can compare one session to the next to measure your mastery over MS symptoms.

Sequencing Games

Sudoku, solitaire, and dominoes are all games that involve some form of sequencing, which is great to target cognitive MS symptoms. These types of games also work on other executive skills, including problem solving, reasoning, and mental flexibility. Carrasco recommends keeping a record of your scores and noting the amount of time you spend playing on each occasion in order to keep track of progress.

Crossword Puzzles

Love to curl up with a crossword on a Sunday afternoon? Try sitting with the newspaper and a pencil for a few minutes every day. Not only do crossword puzzles help to improve cognitive impairment problems related to problem solving, reasoning, mental flexibility, and sequencing, but they also have an added language component that can be beneficial for people who are experiencing problems with word retrieval.

Scrabble

Similar to the benefits of filling out crossword puzzles, this classic board game helps with problem solving, mental flexibility, sequencing, and reasoning with a language component. Plus it has the added social benefit of being a game you can enjoy with others. With the smartphone app, you can have multiple games going on at once with friends and family.

Search and Find Games

Hidden pictures, word searches, number searches, and mazes are all types of search and find games that work on visual-perceptual skills, another area that MS affects. If you make time a component, these games could also address processing speed, adds Carrasco. Look at bookstores, dollar stores, or even online for oversized books with these games that can help cognitive impairment.

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